Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt is not happy with the decision made by the Department of Justice to say that the Preliminary Injunction granted on Thursday afternoon in a Federal District Court in North Dakota only applies to the thirteen states that were plaintiffs in that lawsuit- and that the rest of the United States- thirty seven states- are subject to the EPA's Clean Water Rule becoming effectively the law of the land, as of Friday.


On Thursday afternoon, President Obama's push to extend the EPA's regulatory hand to ditches and small streams to enforce clean water rules was blocked federal judge Ralph Erickson, who said the administration had overstepped its bounds in trying yet another end run around Congress.


Judge Erickson called the Environmental Protection Agency's attempt "inexplicable, arbitrary and devoid of a reasoned process," and issued an injunction preventing the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from claiming oversight of millions of acres of land that contain small bodies of water.


The EPA, though, said it will only honor the injunction in the 13 states that had sued, and will move forward with the rules in the rest of the country.



I talked with Pruitt on Friday morning about the ruling by Judge Erickson, the attitude of the Obama Administration and what lies ahead in fighting implementation of the Clean Water Rule, which Pruitt contends goes far beyond what Congress authorized in the Clean Water Act as passed in the 1970s.  Click or tap here to listen to the full interview.

Later on Friday- Pruitt's office issued a statement on the selective enforcement of the Injunction- they quoted the AG as saying that is simply "Nonsense."

The nation's commodity organizations are applauding the actions of a decision by District Court Judge to postpone the implementation of the 'Waters of the US' rule in 13 states. However- they all believe the Obama Administration is out of line in limiting the injunctive relief to just those states involved in that specific litigation.

National Association of Wheat Growers President Brett Blankenship released a statement saying, "NAWG is encouraged by the action taken in the North Dakota district court to approve a temporary injunction against the Waters of the U.S. regulation. This decision provides breathing room for grower concerns to be discussed in the courts without enforcement of the Environmental Protection Agency's draconian new rule hanging over the heads of our nation's family farmers."  Click here to read more.

More reaction was also provided by Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA), the National Corn Growers and the National Pork Producers Council.

If you don't believe the global factors affecting the U.S. cattle market are numerous and complicated, you probably haven't heard Dan Basse, president of Ag Resource Company, give an
economic outlook.  The seasoned market analyst spoke at the Feeding Quality Forum earlier this month.

 By 2040, Japan's population will drop by 25.3 million people. Today, the Black Sea region exports 34% of the world's wheat. Brazil's currency, the real, has been weak for several years versus the U.S. dollar.


Those realities shape Basse's predictions of fed cattle prices soon topping out near $160/hundredweight (cwt.) before softening to $120/cwt. or lower and, with normal weather, $3/bushel (bu.) corn prices all the way to 2019.


"There is no shortage of grain in the world, so U.S. users don't have much to worry about," Basse said, agreeing with USDA's average yield prediction of 168 bu./acre.


U.S. grain producers, however, need to concentrate on making margin.  Click here to read more analysis from Dan Basse.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Thursday made the following statement on the release of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's fourth quarter Outlook for U.S. Agricultural Trade.


"The strong pace of American agricultural exports continues. Fiscal years 2015 and 2016 exports are forecast to be the third- and fourth-highest on record, respectively. Bulk export volumes are expected to rise in fiscal year 2016 and reach near record levels, and horticultural and livestock product exports are also expected to be higher.


"Today's forecast provides a snapshot of a rural America that continues to remain stable in the face of the worst animal disease outbreak in our nation's history and while the western U.S. remains gripped by drought. Thanks to the resilience of our farmers and ranchers, fiscal years 2009 to 2015 represent the strongest seven years in history for U.S. agricultural trade, with U.S. agricultural product exports totaling more than $911 billion.


"We expect that new trade agreements, made possible thanks to Trade Promotion Authority, will allow American farmers and ranchers to better reach the 95 percent of consumers who live outside of our borders and drive the continued strength of American agricultural exports. USDA will continue to fight to get the best trade deals for farmers and ranchers that open new markets and new customers to them. Expanded trade strengthens the agricultural economy, supports more than one million good paying American jobs, and helps to preserve the rural way of life."


Click here for Quarterly Agricultural Export Forecast

Oklahoma and Texas ranchers had an opportunity to build relationships with consumers this summer in the number one export market for U.S. beef- Japan. Oklahoma cattle producer Chuck Coffey traveled to Japan with other ranchers and a corn farmer from Missouri in a trip coordinated by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).


"We were going over there to be able to put a face with the product that we produce and export to their country," Coffey said.


While in Japan, Coffey and the other American ranchers meet with packers, retailers, grocery store owners, as well as Japanese consumers. Coffey said they taught consumers how to barbecue and cook a steak. Typically the Japanese cook beef like Koreans, in cooking thinner cuts of beef. This group of ranchers were showing consumers how to cook a thicker cut of steak, much like the cuts that we often will grill in our backyards.

With record ticket sales, the 31st annual Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association Range Roundup came to an end Saturday night at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie. After the two evening sessions, a pair of ranch teams tied in the overall standings in the quest to be the Champion Range Roundup Team. Buford Ranch of Hominy, Oklahoma had a strong Saturday night performance and tied the team that was made up of cowboys from Hall Ranch of Comanche and Daube Cattle Company of Ardmore, Oklahoma.


The twelve ranch teams competing in the Range Roundup were involved in six events- Saddle Bronc Riding, Stray Gathering, Team Branding, Team Penning, the Wild Horse Race and Wild Cow Milking- all events that are rooted back into practices that are a part of western ranch life.


The OCA Range Round-Up set out on a mission back in 1985 to provide family entertainment, promote beef and raise money for charity. For the 19th year, the OCA Range Round-Up is benefiting the Children's Hospital Foundation. OCA Executive Vice President Michael Kelsey said to date the Range Round-Up has contributed more than $404,000.00 to the charity.

Click here to read more about the two Champion teams at this year's event.




 




 

 

The August Work Period continues- and Senator James Lankford has a busy three days this week as he will be involved in 14 Town Hall type meetings starting at 7:00 AM THIS MORNING in Boise City- in our western most County Seat in the state in the Oklahoma Panhandle.  

On Facebook, I saw that Senator Lankford and family got a little sightseeing out in the most northwestern corner of the state yesterday- including checking out autograph rock, the marker in the far corner of the state where Oklahoma meets Kansas, Colorado and New Mexico and Kenton. He was hosted by Oklahoma State Representative Casey Murdock
 who calls Cimarron County home.

Senator Lankford will host six Town Halls today- starting in Boise CIty this AM and ending in Woodward this evening.  More meetings are planned tomorrow and Friday.

Click here for a complete schedule of the road trip planned by our junior Senator.

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I wanted to leave you this morning with a great post from a young farmer in north central Oklahoma- who was still awake in the wee hours of this final day of August- Marty and his wife Crystal Williams farm in the Red Rock area and Martin offered these comments shortly after 12 AM on Facebook:

"It's just past midnight and I just sang the kids to sleep. Yes my kids just went to sleep. No they won't be up at 7 am. It's ok. We are farmers. It's harvest time. If my kids didn't stay up late they wouldn't see me until the next big rain. I leave early and the amount of work that needs to get done or the fog in my eyes determines when I stop, not the clock. I'm not unique in this, we all do this at certain times throughout the year. So when I get defensive towards my non-GMO or "all natural " friends, please understand that we put our heart and soul and sacrifice countless hours of leisure and family time so the U.S. Consumer has a safe, consistent, reliable and cheap food supply. Goodnight and God bless you all."

Marty, God Bless you and your family too!